It's the Word of the Day podcast for March 3rd.
Today's word is draconian, spelled D-R-A-C-O-N-I-A-N.
Draconian is an adjective.
It describes something often a law policy or restriction that is very severe or cruel.
Here's the word used in a sentence from The Ringer by Katie Baker.
The auras that surround the sharks and the hawks are wildly distinct,
even if the team's records are close to the same.
To put it in Chicago terms, one team has the vibe of a Ferris Bueller,
Place Hookie joins Random Parades, chicks dig him,
and the other is, I'm sorry to say, increasingly principal Rooney-esque,
grim-faced, tightly wound, represents a draconian institution.
The word draconian comes from Dracon, the name later Latinized as Draco,
of a 7th century BC Athenian legislator who created a written code of law.
Dracon's code was intended to clarify existing laws,
but its severity is what made it really memorable.
According to the code, even minor offenses were punishable by death,
and failure to pay one's debts could result in slavery.
Draconian, as a result,
is used especially for authoritative actions that are viewed as cruel or harsh.
With your Word of the Day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.